1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to computing systems and more particularly to a hand held computer with a transparent display utilized to allow a viewer to see a rendered wireframe model of an object in the context of the surroundings where a real object might be placed.
2. Description of Related Art
Consumers often find that goods they have purchased, once placed in the target environment, prove to be unsatisfactory. For example, although the size and color of a particular object may be described in a traditional printed catalog or available from an on-line catalog over a network such as the Internet""s World Wide Web, consumers may be disappointed after purchase, when the object is actually placed in the consumer""s home or other target environment.
Computerized two-dimensional images of retail objects are known but provide the consumer with little sense of the object""s size or with what degree of success the object would integrate into the destination environment. This is especially true of xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d items where no corresponding physical sample exists.
Virtual reality systems allow the consumer, while wearing an uncomfortable helmet, to see a three-dimensional stereo representation of an object within an artificial environment, but suffers similar limitations.
A videotape entitled xe2x80x9cStarfirexe2x80x9d was produced by SunSoft in 1994. It depicted a portable hand held computing device called the SunPad. Using an flat-panel opaque screen, the SunPad displayed images captured by a separate (and remote) camera. The SunPad was used to remotely control the camera, i.e. the camera movements were controlled by the user and the SunPad""s display was continually updated so that it became a remote display for the camera""s output. The SunPad depicted in the videotape did not allow the consumer to change the context in which objects were viewed.
The Problems
The techniques described above all suffer the same limitation: the inability of the consumer to view a representation of an object within an environment, or context, where it would normally be used. This inability denies consumers significant relevant information which leads, in turn, to bad purchases (e.g. xe2x80x9cThe microwave oven sticks out over the edge of the counter!xe2x80x9d) and subsequent returns.
Being able to view the object in context enhances the buying experience for the consumer and reduces costs of returns and exchanges for the seller. The consumers ability to make better buying decisions when interacting with electronic marketing forums such as the World Wide Web will promote widespread acceptance of retail electronic commerce.
The present invention provides apparatus, systems, processes and computer program products which permits the user, after downloading a three-dimensional representation of an object, to place, move and rotate that representation of the object (virtual object) within the user""s environment. This is accomplished using a hand-held computing device with transparent flat-panel display and with location sensors, providing the x, y, z, roll, pitch and yaw coordinates of the computing device with respect to a reference coordinate system. To obtain a full three-dimensional stereo view of the object, the three-dimensional representation may be viewed through shuttered glasses or through red-blue 3-D viewing glasses.
By placing a locating sender where the user wishes to place the virtual object, a sender on the shuttered glasses and a receiver in the hand held computing device, the necessary coordinate information is made available to standard imaging software to display left and right stereo images of the virtual object on the hand held computing device.
These stereo images, when viewed through shuttered glasses, present alternating via left/right views in a sequential manner so that the virtual object appears appropriately placed and focused within the user""s environment, at the place specified by a sender.
After the user has successfully placed the virtual object within the environment, the hand held computing device can be moved in any direction within the coordinate system and the perspective and view of the virtual object will change appropriately. It is possible for the user to circle around the virtual object and view the object in the context of the actual environment from different angles through the display screen of the hand held computing device.
These novel features of the invention provide users with the ability to see the virtual object in the actual target environment at its real size and shape merely by looking through the transparent pad.
The invention is directed to apparatus for displaying a three dimensional representation of an object in the context of an environment in which the object might be placed. It includes, a computing device with a transparent display, a viewer for permitting a user to view images on the transparent display and through the transparent display and a device for measuring distance between the viewer and the computing device and between the viewer and a location in the environment; The computing device is configured to display an image of the object as if the object were positioned at the specified location in the environment. The device for measuring distance includes one or more telemetry senders and one or more telemetry receivers. A telemetry sender can be removably attached to the computing device. The apparatus includes the ability to fix the representation of the object so that as the user changes position, the representation stays fixed with respect to the room (environment) in which the apparatus is located. The orientation of the representation can be changed under user control. The view of the object is preferably in stereo.
The invention is also directed to a method for displaying a three dimensional representation of an object, by displaying and initial three dimensional representation of the object; determining a distance from a display of a computing device to a location at which the object should appear to be located; and adjusting the display of the object to appear to be positioned at that location. Preferably the object is displayed on a transparent display screen by which the context of an environment in which the object might be placed can be concurrently viewed. Three dimensional representations can be downloaded to a computing device from another computer over a network.
The invention is also directed to a system for displaying a three dimensional representation of an object in the context of an environment in which the object might be placed, including a source of one or more three dimensional representations of objects, a computing device for displaying a three dimensional representation of an object in the context of an environment in which the object might be placed, and a selectively actuatable link, such as a dial up network link, between the source and the computing device.
The invention is also directed to a method for accessing information about items available for acquisition, comprising the steps of: retrieving at least one three dimensional representation of one of the items and displaying the three dimensional representation on a transparent screen by which three dimensional representation can be viewed in context with an environment in which one of the items might be used. The invention is also directed to a system for accessing information about items available for acquisition, including a network, a first storage device containing at least one three dimensional representation of one of the items, connected to the network, a computing device connected to the network, configured to download and display three dimensional representations, a stereo viewer connected to the computing device; and a device for measuring distance between the stereo viewer and the computing device and between the stereo viewer and a location in the environment of the computing device, in which the computing device displays three dimensional representations at the location with a scale determined by the distance between the stereo viewer and the computing device and between the stereo viewer and the location in the environment.
The invention is also directed to a computer program product including a memory medium and a computer program stored on the memory medium containing instructions for displaying a three dimensional stereo representation of an object with sizing and orientation appropriate to a location in the environment of a computer upon which the program is to run.